Maternal Optimism: Forging Positive Paths Through Work and Motherhood

Every working mother's path is unique and should be celebrated, not lamented. Yet all too frequently, working mothers are presented with advice, rules to follow or guidelines as if all women's experiences are the same and a one-size-fits-all solution is appropriate. Maternal Optimism: Forging Positive Paths through Work and Motherhood aims to provide readers with stories and research that support the notion of women owning and feeling confident in the choices they make, as they navigate a complex series of work and family transitions. This book challenges the impulse to reduce work/life challenges to a single point in time, such as the decision to return to work after the birth of a child; instead, it recognizes that work and family decisions are anything but stagnant. They shift as life and career shift and are often filled with unpredictable events.

By understanding and anticipating these shifts, working mothers can develop the resiliency they need at home and at work. This book is a resource for all professional women as they approach the difficulties and the joys of growing a family and a career.

Jamie Ladge is Patrick F. & Helen C. Walsh Professor of Management at Northeastern University. Her primary area of research focuses on the psychological and career implications of professionally employed mothers and fathers. She also researches the diversity challenges and work and family boundaries of those holding intersecting social identities. Her work has been widely published and cited in both scholarly journals and in the popular press. She received an MS and PhD from the Boston College Carroll School of Management, an MBA from Simmons School of Management, and a BS from Babson College.


Danna Greenberg is Walther H. Carpenter Professor of Organizational Behavior at Babson College. Her research investigates how individuals navigate the relationship between work, family, and community as their careers and lives evolve. In addition, Professor Greenberg is actively engaged with research on the scholarship of teaching and learning. Her work has been widely published in both scholarly and practitioner outlets. She received a PhD from the Boston College Carroll School of Management and a BA in Psychology from Wellesley College.